Rep. Harold Ford is urging President George W. Bush not to appoint an "extremist" from either side to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Rep. Ford, who is a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate, also asked for political and economic reforms in Africa.

He wrote this letter to President Bush:

July 6, 2005

President George W. Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President,

I trust your trip to Scotland for the G8 summit went well. At no time in the past 50 years has America been more misunderstood around the globe than we are today. Your leadership and courage to do the right thing and do it right are needed now.

As you know, Africa is home to almost 15 percent of the world's population. One third of the people live in dire poverty, more than 25 million are infected with HIV/AIDS and the continent is increasingly a home to terrorist training camps. I hope you and your colleagues in the G8 will develop and implement a plan that incentivizes political and economic reforms in Africa in exchange for debt relief, new trade agreements and direct investment. This approach will produce large benefits for our nation's security for generations to come. Furthermore, my Bible leads me to the conclusion that helping the least of us is the right thing to do.

This leads me to another, and final, point. You are considering an appointment to the Supreme Court. The retirement of Justice O'Connor has provoked the usual divisive chatter one might expect. However, this time it appears it could be worse if real leadership is not exerted early.

Letter to President George W. Bush
Page 2

I am writing to encourage that you not cave in to either extreme in choosing a Justice for the Court. I am sickened by the criticism of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and the reminders from the extreme right about you promising to appoint a Justice whose views are inconsistent with the majority of Americans. As heartened as I was to see you defend General Gonzales and urge a tempering of the rhetoric from all sides, you should stick to your word that you will consult with the Congress about the choice so that we can avoid polarizing the country and Washington any more than either already is.

The nation can ill afford more division wrought by politics. The war, higher and higher gas prices, more expensive health care and school starting back in August are enough for American families to cope with this summer. Remember, the Iraqis are to have a Constitution written by August 15 and then hold a referendum on accepting the Constitution by October 15 to be followed by a new round of elections in December. I cannot imagine a wiser expenditure of your time right now than ensuring that the constitution is written, the military and police are trained and elections are held in Iraq. These milestones are critical to helping the "Iraqis stand up," as you say Mr. President, so that American troops can begin "standing down." The selection of a mainstream person to the Court will help you, the nation and Congress maintain our focus on these and other critical issues dominating the day-to-day lives of Americans.

Again, thank you for your consideration. If I can be of assistance on any of these matters, I stand ready to help. And, as always, you and your family remain in my prayers.

Sincerely,

Harold Ford, Jr.